Sunday, December 20, 2009

snowed in

The big storm that had been moving up the east coast arrived here last night and there's now 9" of snow covering the back yard. We have an unusually big back yard for Harvard Square and it's an oasis of unbroken snow in the very dense urban neighborhood. You can barely see the sunken circle and stone wall, and my garden is completely buried.

Since we knew it was coming yesterday was a flurry of activity. We finished shopping and wrapping and mailing for everyone in the Scientist's family, and got a few last things for my family who we're going to visit over the holiday.

I went to go pick up Robert who was at Harris Cyclery getting his "braking under acceleration" problem fixed. Turned out that the brake grease port cap had gone missing and that grime had been getting in, and some of that grit was triggering braking action under hard pedaling. Glad to get it fixed, and although it was $45 to completely replace the roller brake assembly, think about how much it would cost to get the braking system replaced on a car. (actually I know very well, because I was too cheap to pay to have it done when I sold my car last year- Ended up doing it myself -new pads, rotors and a new caliper. Cost less than $75 in parts, but would have been $400 to do it all at a shop). In comparison, bikes are easy and cheap to fix!

Anyway, I was glad to have Robert back and working well and celebrated by biking downtown to Newbury street. There's a real correlation between how difficult it is to park somewhere and how attractive it is to bike there. I hit some shops on Newbury street and the Trader Joe's in Cambridge- both places where parking is a blood sport, and I was so glad that all I had to do was pull up on the sidewalk and find a stationary object to lock to.

The good side of all the activity yesterday was that today was spent reading with a cup of tea and watching the snowplows go by and huge white flakes fall. It's incredibly cozy to sit and read and watch it fall when you don't have to go out in it!

Seems many of us are consumed with the effect of snow on our biking world. While I love to see the world covered in a thick coat of snow and can't wait to break in my new snowshoes, I do miss hoping on my bike in the morning and pedaling easily to work. Right now, the snow is just too much for me - and my bike with the really fat tires unfortunately appears to suffer from a frozen chain. Oh yuck.